Against the Steel
As soon as the fire fully dissipated on the stage and the smoke vanished, everyone saw the unconscious Lexus Blythe lying on the cracked floor.
Max stood in the middle of the stage. The stone armor on her body was gone, and her two sabers were tucked in their sheaths on her back.
The host with the golden tooth climbed onto the stage and announced Max's victory.
Meanwhile, two city guardians approached Lexus. One carried him like a sack over his shoulder, while the other fixed the ruined stage for the next duel.
"Now I know why her sabers can withstand fire," Lily said.
"Why?" Both Kayena and Ace asked curiously. They, too, had been wondering.
"The hilts of her sabers bear the mark of the Stone Saber Wielders. It was an organization that vanished decades ago because of internal conflict, and its members scattered across different lands…."